Looking to the Tent

^{I peter 4
2}Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

We so desperately want to be like Christ. We so often forget what that entails. To be like Christ means walking the same path..which so often was the path of pain and suffering. This we hate. This is when we shut down and say "ok Jesus....i want to be like you except for the suffering part". That choice is not given. We either completely give ourselves to his same path, or not at all.

We so often are surprised that we have to suffer, that we have to go thru hardships. How could it be that a God who is so GOOD would want us to suffer. It is so that we can be made complete, so that we can be made whole, so that HE can finish the Good work in us that HE started. So that we can be made more and more into the image of Christ.

I'm not saying suffering is easy or we should look at it lightly. It is hard, and it is painful, it often seems like we cant see the light. That's when we trust. We trust in his Goodness, We trust in his Leadership, we trust that he sees and knows exactly what is going on.

Joy is promised beloved, but if we want to be gloried with Christ, and partake in his Glory, than the journey of suffering must be something that is looked at.

The great hope is this. That we have a King. A King that is returning to his people. A King who will bring everything to completion. We will celebrate Beloved. The end of all tears, the end of all sickness, the end of all sorrow, on that Glorious day that he returns will be DONE.

So beloved as we go thru this life, lets not dodge the suffering, lets walk thru it, and look and know what our hope is in.

ISAIAH 33

Now will I arise," says the LORD.
"Now will I be exalted;
now will I be lifted up.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
and view a land that stretches afar.

¹⁸ In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
"Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"

¹⁹ You will see those arrogant people no more,
those people of an obscure speech,
with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.

²⁰ Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.

²¹ There the LORD will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship will sail them.

As we journey, lets keep our gaze focused. Not on our problems or circumstances. Lets look towards the Return of the King. The "Tent that will not be moved". Our place in Glory. Our destiny. OUR HOME! This is what we look at when things get dark.....OUR HOME.